30 Days Wild:Day 12 - Bug Hunting Our Local Patch

                                                                   

  Wow, already at Day 12 of my #30DaysWild Blog and only the next 5 will be done in my local area in Lincolnshire, the following 9 days will be in South Wales :)

  So, after a good pub lunch we headed for our local nature reserve Messingham Sand Quarry.

http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/Messingham-Sand-Quarry

  To say it was a dull day was a bit of an understatement but it was very muggy so insects were still very active.

  There were a few Moths on the wing with these beautifully marked Yellowshell(photo by Majella Fox), a Common Carpet and the colourful Cinnabar Moth.  

  Scorpion Flies were everywhere and closer examination of the vegetation also revealed......

  Long-Jawed Orb Weaver Spider

  Garden Chafer Beetle

  Green Sawfly

  Majella had to take her obligatory photo of me photographing something lol

  I was photographing this Damselfly(I think a female Common Blue but if anyone knows better please correct me:)).I wondered why its head looked slightly larger then on getting closer realised it was feeding on a Caddis Fly.

    I also spotted this stunning Queen Wasp resting in the Hawthorn.

  We even found things that eat the bugs ;) Quite a lot of juvenile Common Frogs hopping around so you had to watch where you put your feet to avoid standing on any.

Just a few of the large array of wildflowers around the reserve.

  Yellow Flag Iris

  Ox-eye Daisy

  Ragged-robin

  Marsh Orchid, not sure if its Northern, Southern or a Hybrid.Any ideas anyone?

  So there you have it, a few of the things we see around on local reserve.It is also a great place for birds too, Common Terns, Hobbys, Treecreepers, Blackcaps and Waterfowl all present if you listen and look hard enough.

  I am a football fan but getting outdoors and experiencing Nature is much more relaxing than screaming at the tv, so try it yourself ;)

30 Days Wild:Day 6 - A Walk In The Yorkshire Sun

                                                                  

  It was a very warm , sunny day in Yorkshire so we headed over to YWT Potteric Carr for a mixture of bird watching and bug hunting.

First Bug of the day, a Green Shieldbug

  Around the ponds there were lots of Dragonflies, all Four-spotted Chasers.Majella took this photo of me taking the photos below.

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  Lots of birds were heard but not seen including Blackcaps and a Cuckoo.Viewing was easier at the Willow Pool Feeding station.

  A couple of young Coots.

    A Magpie that had decided the original holes in the feeder were not to his liking lol

  The water in the Mother Drain was beautifully clear as usual , no Grass Snakes there this time but nice to have good views of the Roach and Perch.

  Butterflies on the wing included Brimstones, Large Whites, Orange Tips and Speckled Woods.This Speckled Wood looking a bit worse for wear.

  Walking down a trail I noticed a lot of movement in the nearby vegetation and was excited to see newly fledged Willow Warblers, 4 of them with an Adult.

    Plenty of other birds around such s Grey Herons, Tufted Ducks, Moorhen, Black-headed Gulls, Greylag & Canada Geese.

  Female Mallard, you can see the meaning "water off a Duck's back" ;) (photo by Majella Fox)

  Mute Swan

  We were hoping to see a Bittern fly by but no luck so had to be happy just watching this Marsh Harrier hunting over the reed beds.

  A few photos of different parts of the reserve.

  So overall a fantastic 3 hour walk around part of YWT Potteric Carr and worth all the (now itchy) Midge bites lol Something that really ended the walk on a high was a Mammal encounter on the access road back to the centre.Unfortunately I didn't get a photo but it was a Common Shrew rummaging in the grass at the edge of the road, amazing to see :)

  Thanks again for taking the time to check out my blog, lots more to come over the next 3+ weeks.